Zach Behrens

The LAPD is back this weekend with another sobriety and drivers license checkpoint as part of its effort to deter people drinking and driving. Tonight's location will be in the Cahuenga Pass neighborhood, outside Universal Studios, at Cahuenga and Bennett between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. The LAPD does not have to announce all checkpoints so there could be more out there. Another checkpoint is scheduled for Saturday evening in Azusa, according to the...

The jobless rate in California increased by a tenth of a point from 12.3% in August, according to information released by the state today. A year ago, the rate was 12%. "The California unemployment rate surpassed the national level as the longest recession since the Great Depression continues to hammer the state," added Bloomberg. "The state jobless rate has been 12 percent or more for the past 12 months, reaching a high of 12.6 percent...

Photo by jeffkingla via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr It was a little more than a year ago that Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles went up for sale. Owners, who had bought the 47,000 square-foot building at 7th and Broadway for themselves, planned to keep the eatery running despite a tenuous economic environment. If there was ever a worry that the classic restaurant, which has been open since the 1930s, would go wayside,...

There are plenty of Jesus sighting around town, but what's with those two neon "Jesus Saves" signs in downtown Los Angeles? They sit atop the United Artists Theatre, but that's not their original spot, says blogdowntown's Eric Richardson, who details their history, which includes moving it from downtown to La Mirada, a scrapeyard and back....

Inside 7+Fig | Photo by LA Wad via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Big changes are coming to downtown Los Angeles and for the 7+Fig mall, that could be a Target store. Numerous tenants at the complex have been given notices to vacate their stores by January to make way for a renovation project, according to the Downtown News. Neither property owner Brookfield Properties nor Target would confirm the long-talked about scenario, but most...

A new report from the National Academies of Science has concluded that the West Coast, particularly Northern California through Washington, is not prepared for tsunami activity. One main cause of concern is the Cascadia subduction zone, which is not located near Los Angeles. That's not to say there are risks locally, such as the minor damage that occurred in February from tsunami activity. The USGS is currently studying tsunami scenarios for the region and have...

Photo by Jonathan Alcorn (Sundogg) via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Amoeba Records, along with its two other California locations, took top honors this week on Rolling Stone's list of 25 top U.S. record stores for unique vinyl and CDs. No surprises there and no other local stores were listed (Chicago garnered three spots!). The news is bittersweet with the news we learned last month that Fat Beats on Melrose Avenue is closing its...

Photo by guamafro via Flickr This creepy headline comes courtesy of the LA Times. At about 2 a.m. on Wednesday, sheriff's deputies say a man broke into a Rancho Palos Verdes home and began stroking the teenage daughter's hair and whispered something into her ear. She was never hurt during the incident, but when she awoke and screamed, her parents chased him out. The suspect is described as a 20 to 25-year-old Latino, 5-foot-10...

A test missile is scheduled to launch from a Southland air force base early Friday morning. While the unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County will make no noise, it may be visible in the sky sometime between 3 and 9 a.m. In order to decrease call volume, the Los Angeles Fire Department says there's no need to call 9-1-1....

Photo by jimmay bones via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr 1 in 7 people are living in poverty, concludes the latest census report. And flu season has arrived. The stage vacated by "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" will soon be home to KNBC Channel 4's news operation and the Los Angeles bureau for NBC News. A visit to the set of internet show "Young Hollywood," which has 3 million unique viewers a month,...